Saturday, October 29, 2016

Exploring our "Natural Legacy" Through Music

"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents." - Beethoven

Poster design by Rollan Fell

Composers try to capture the sounds of nature through music.  Storms, birds, streams, and more are explored by Beethoven in the masterful "Pastoral" Symphony No. 6.
Preview the music for the Nov. 10 concert at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2VY33VXnrQ
Beethoven annotated the beginning of each movement as follows:
  1. Erwachen heiterer Empfindungen bei der Ankunft auf dem Lande (Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the countryside)Allegro ma non troppo
  2. Szene am Bach (Scene by the brook)Andante molto mosso
  3. Lustiges Zusammensein der Landleute (Merry gathering of country folk): Allegro
  4. Gewitter, Sturm (Thunder. Storm): Allegro
  5. Hirtengesang. Frohe und dankbare Gefühle nach dem Sturm (Shepherd's song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm)Allegretto
Many will remember the Disney treatment which was controversial at the time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_EDBM1tOEo


Coal Creek by Sara Penny


Vivaldi's Seasons were based on poems and the music evokes harvest festivities and the horses and excitement of a hunt.

Autumn – Concerto in F Major
Allegro
The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in.
The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber.

Adagio molto
The singing and the dancing die away
as cooling breezes fan the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep
without a care.

Allegro
The hunters emerge at dawn,
ready for the chase,
with horns and dogs and cries.
Their quarry flees while they give chase.
Terrified and wounded, the prey struggles on,
but, harried, dies.


Sonnets for all movements: http://www.baroquemusic.org/vivaldiseasons.html  

Music preview for Fall: https://youtu.be/hBT31dFvVZA

Complete Seasons starting with Spring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGcwvd0yaxM

Cedar Breaks columbines by Sara Penny


A gem of the opera repertoire:

Lakmé, Flower duet (Duetto) by Léo Delibes: duet video features Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca (Lakmé de Delibes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf42IP__ipw

Opera based in India. Lakme, and her servant, Malika go to the river and gather flowers with prayers for safety for Lakme's father.

Join the Orchestra of Southern Utah on Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., at the Heritage Center for live performance of these classical masterpieces. More info: http://osucedarcity.blogspot.com/2016/11/musical-favorites-captures-natural.html

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